April 25, 2005

DENVER - Andrea Mason, a 5-7 guard from Gilbert, Ariz., has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Denver and play basketball, according to head coach Pam Tanner.

Mason averaged 14.7 points and led the state of Arizona with 99 3-pointers her senior year at Mesquite High School. She was a four year starter for Mesquite, and led her team to the elite eight of the state tournament for the first time while recording 30 wins in 2004-05. Mason holds the career record for both 3-pointers (212) and total points (1,398) at Mesquite and earned second team all-state honors, East Valley Tribune 5A First Team honors and All-Fiesta First Team honors her senior year. The 5A Arizona Shootout Champion, was named to the Arizona Republic Northwest Sports 2005 All-Star Team, and the most valuable player her junior and senior years.

"We are so excited to get such a quality player this late in the signing period," Tanner said. "She is a player who can play under pressure and one who just loves basketball. Andrea is a player we just couldn't pass up."

Mason joins Christina Hurtado (5-8, Guard) from Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz., as the other guard in the 2005-06 class. Denver signed three post players in fall of 2004: Anne Jasperson (6-3, Center) from Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis, Ore., Sara Bents (6-2, Center) from Billings West High School in Billings, Mont. and Nnenna Akotaobi (5-10 Forward) from Thornton High School in Thornton, Colo., all signed earlier in November.